United Kingdom, and earlier in warmer countries. Edibility The mushroom is best picked in dry weather. It can be eaten dry, pickled or even raw. It is imported in commercial quantities into Western Europe from Romania. It was held in high esteem in medieval Italy, reported by Costanzo Felici in 1569 as the most expensive and highly regarded mushroom in Umbria and Marches in central Italy, and held in high esteem in the Apennine mountain region—Liguria, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna)—by Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti in 1777. It is still locally eaten in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. St George's mushroom is highly prized in the Basque Country of Spain, where it fetches very high prices. In Alava, it is traditionally eaten on the feast of Saint Prudence (28 April), alongside snails. The mushroom is also a cornerstone of the gastronomy of Bilbao, where it is typically eaten in an omelette. The demand in the Basque Country is so high the mushroom has to be imported from Eastern Europe. Some people have been reported to react to an unknown allergen in this mushroom. Because of this, it is wise to only eat a small portion the first time you try this mushroom. It is uncertain whether cooking the mushroom for a longer time period reduces reactions to it, but it might help so until there is further research done; it is advisable to cook this mushroom for 10 – 15 minutes before eating. Calocybe gambosa grows at the same time of year and locations to, and can be confused with, young Inocybe erubescens (poisonous), Melanoleuca strictipes (inedible), and Entoloma sinuatum (poisonous). References External links Lyophyllaceae Fungi described in 1821 Fungi of Europe Edible fungi Fungi found in fairy rings Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries